Helen Skelton has admitted the hardest part of her split from ex-husband Richie Myler wasn't the heartbreak itself – it was feeling like everyone else knew about it too. The TV presenter spoke candidly about the aftermath of her marriage breakdown, revealing she found the intense public interest 'humiliating' and struggled with being constantly reminded that her private life had become public gossip.
Public scrutiny after separation
Skelton, 42, separated from former rugby league player Myler in 2022 after eight years of marriage. The split came just months after they welcomed their third child, daughter Elsie, before Myler later started a relationship with another woman. Looking back on that period, the Morning Live presenter admitted she found it impossible to escape conversations about what had happened.
'It felt humiliating to me because of where I'm from,' she told The Times. 'I didn't enjoy walking down the street and people knowing stuff about my past.'
For Skelton, it wasn't just tabloid headlines that made things difficult. Living in a close-knit community meant everyone seemed to have an opinion, from familiar faces in the supermarket to conversations filtering back through her family. She revealed her dairy farmer father Richard would hear people discussing her personal life at his local golf club, while even shopping for groceries could become an uncomfortable experience. 'Susan from the meat counter at Sainsbury's' would ask about her love life, she recalled.
Reclaiming control through dance
Rather than disappearing from public view, Skelton decided to do the exact opposite. Just seven months after the split, she signed up for Strictly Come Dancing. At the time, many viewers saw it simply as another celebrity contestant joining the ballroom competition. For Skelton, though, it became an opportunity to reclaim control of her own story.
'I wanted to have my own narrative,' she explained. 'I was sick of the patronising looks, the “Ooh, how are you?” I didn't have the capacity to say, “I'm brilliant, how are you?” That's what the dance did.'
Her memorable Couple's Choice routine to Mein Herr from Cabaret quickly became one of the defining performances of the series, with fans dubbing it her 'revenge dance'. During the performance, Skelton even mouthed Sally Bowles' famous line, 'You're better off without me,' describing it as a metaphorical 'f*** you' to anyone who had written her off.
Resonance beyond the ballroom
The performance struck a chord beyond the ballroom. 'One of the dancers said, “You did that for all of us, didn't you?”' she recalled. Skelton ultimately finished as runner-up on the series, with many viewers seeing her run as a symbol of resilience during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Since then, she's continued to rebuild both personally and professionally. After stepping away from her Sunday show on BBC Radio 5 Live to spend more weekends with her three children, she became one of the main faces of BBC One's Morning Live. Her easy chemistry with co-presenter Gethin Jones has repeatedly sparked rumours that the pair are secretly dating, speculation that has only intensified after they were photographed together at public events and a spa. But Skelton insists there's nothing romantic going on.
Dismissing romance rumours
'It's wild. I've had my best friend congratulate me on our engagement,' she laughed. 'We're not [together]. We work together; he's one of my best friends.'
She's equally dismissive of suggestions she's looking for love elsewhere. 'I couldn't think of anything worse,' she said of dating apps, before joking that her father regularly asks if she's on Tinder when he actually means Vinted.
